North Cascades National Park ServiceU.S. Department of the Interior

We manage the park’s natural and cultural resources in unimpaired condition through scientifically informed stewardship, protection, research, restoration, education and public involvement.

We actively welcome visitors to the North Cascades through a variety of appropriate educational and recreational experiences.

We foster a diverse, well trained staff that works collaboratively and efficiently in a safe, rewarding and respectful environment.

We use innovative methods to help park staff, visitors and communities explore the meanings and significance of the North Cascades, inspire stewardship and foster engagement.

We employ effective partnerships to accomplish our goals and build a constituency for the future.

To implement these goals, the park will accomplish the following by 2016...

EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA ™2011 – 2016 Strategic Plan North Cascades National Park Complex

STRATEGIC GOALS

NORTH CASCADES 2016 ACCOMPLISHMENTS2

•  Used natural and cultural resource and science information as necessary inputs for park management decisions.

•  Made natural and cultural resource and science information understand-able and readily available to park staff and partners.

•  Implemented the high-priority North Coast and Cascades Network Natural Resource Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) program vital sign protocols at a sustainable level.

•  Achieved recognition for the park’s support of the network I&M program.

•  Supported the existing monitoring  protocols (glaciers, landbirds, mountain lakes, climate, landscape dynamics, water quality, and forest, alpine, and sub-alpine vegetation) and implement-ed additional monitoring protocols in the park by leveraging resources from other sources (e.g., Skagit Environmen-tal Endowment Commission funding support for existing mountain lakes and landbirds protocols and the implementation of water quality moni-toring for Ross Lake and its streams and tributaries and fish population assessments of park reservoirs).

Made science-based decisions

•  Expanded, as opportunities arose, the glacier and vegetation monitoring protocols and pursued funding for other high-priority biological resources such as through multi-taxa inventories and monitoring similar to the Grinnell Transects in Yosemite National Park.

•  Established a robust I&M program  information delivery system that is used by employees throughout  the park.

•  Used the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) compliance processes as decision making tools for the planning and implementation of park projects.

•  Made the NEPA/NHPA compliance processes known and accessible to employees throughout the park.

•  Completed and began to implement the Ross Lake National Recreation Area General Management Plan.

•  Implemented the Mountain Lakes  Fishery Management Plan.

NORTH CASCADES 2016 ACCOMPLISHMENTS 3

•  Supported park employees to  productively and safely accomplish park goals and priorities.

•  Ensured that employees understood how their work, and that of their co-workers, supported the park’s goals and priorities.

•  Ensured that employees had the train-ing, tools, and supervision necessary to accomplish park goals and priorities.

•  All new permanent and term employ-ees completed the National Park Service Fundamentals within three years of being hired.

•  Established and followed operational procedures to conduct work safely and efficiently.

•  Worked together across divisions to solve problems and identify issues and opportunities.

•  Recognized employees and key  partners as conduits of valuable  information to and from all divisions and staff.

•  Individuals are respected within the park and network as demonstrated by requests for them to lead or participate in divisional, interdivisional, network, regional, and national workgroups.

•  Effectively communicated with  each other.

•  Consistently used the park’s intranet site, or similar tool, to provide informa-tion (including calendars and  announcements).

•  Held regular meetings to share  information.

•  Involved employees in feedback on this communication work.

•  Established pride to work for the park and the National Park Service.

•  Recognized employees for their  contributions.

Supported park employees

NORTH CASCADES 2016 ACCOMPLISHMENTS4

•  Employed the Climate Friendly Parks  Action Plan and the Climate Leadership in Parks (CLIP) Tool to strategically iden-tify and implement emission reduction, education, and adaptation measures.

•  Reduced greenhouse gas emissions from park operations by 21% below 2010 levels.

•  Partnered with local, regional, and national entities to provide public  outreach and education on the science of climate change, specific threats  to park resources, and adaptive man-agement techniques used to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

•  Increased our understanding of the influence of climate change on natural and cultural resources.

•  Worked with adjacent land manage-ment agencies and research institutions to increase the resistance and resilience of the North Cascades ecosystem with respect to climate change.

•  Pursued sustainable facility design,  construction, and operation techniques to prepare for anticipated environmen-tal changes.

•  Served as a leader among Pacific Northwest parks in addressing climate change.

Began to address climate change

NORTH CASCADES 2016 ACCOMPLISHMENTS 5

•  Used the Facility Condition Index (FCI) to efficiently maintain facilities and infrastructure.

•  Improved the 2010 Facility Condition Index (FCI) of the park’s 28 “high” and 97 “highest” priority assets.

• Reduced the 2010 gap between  “high” priority asset needs and  available funding. 

•  Developed management actions  (i.e., continue to operate, mothball, or demolish) for 50% of the park’s 151 “lowest” priority assets.

Improved the condition of park facilities

•  Used the Facility Management  Software System (FMSS) to enable data-driven asset management decision making.

•  Reduced by 25% the 2010 deferred 

maintenance backlog on critical systems (e.g., HVAC systems, roofs, exterior paint).

NORTH CASCADES 2016 ACCOMPLISHMENTS6

•  Implemented actions to create a  sustainable road network in lower valley.

•  Moved the park maintenance facility out of the channel migration zone.

•  Constructed a replacement fire cache and dormitory co-located with the maintenance facility.

•  Achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification for the park maintenance facility and the fire cache and  dormitory.

•  Responded to willing property owners’ requests to move out of the chan-nel migration zone through trade or acquisition.

•  Submitted funding requests for replacement and rehabilitation of park housing.  

•  Began to construct some of the replacement housing (e.g., Fitzpatrick House and The Hilton). 

•  Completed major rehabilitations of the existing housing that has been designated to remain.

•  Completed priority erosion control projects.

•  Utilized the established multi-agency technical committee to continue  to provide input for issues and  opportunities along the Stehekin River.

Began to implement portions of the Stehekin River Corridor Implementation Plan

NORTH CASCADES 2016 ACCOMPLISHMENTS 7

•  Built a workforce that reflects the diversity of the Pacific Northwest.

•  Developed and utilized a hiring strat-egy to increase diversity.

•  Hiring officials consistently used the annual turnover in seasonal positions (approximately 30% of annual sea-sonal hires are new hires) to recruit for talented and diverse workers with the appropriate skills for the job.

•  Created a “Path For Youth” in collabo-ration with partners to engage diverse youth from elementary school through college in educational and service programs (e.g., Youth Conservation Corps, The Student Conservation Association, and Washington Conser-vation Corps) that lead to internships and conservation career employment opportunities in the park and through-out the nation.

•  Hiring officials consistently used the programs along the “Path For Youth” as an opportunity to recruit for and train talented and diverse workers for specific entry-level positions. 

•  Hiring officials consistently shared employment opportunities with youth program participants.

Achieved workforce diversity

•  Consistently provided park internships through the Student Conservation  Association and focused on partici-pants that reflected the diversity of the Pacific Northwest.

•  Hiring officials actively used the full range of available special hiring authorities (e.g., Student Temporary Employment Program, Student Career Experience Program, and Federal Career Intern Program) to recruit skilled, diverse employees.

•  Hiring officials actively worked with recruiting programs in other parks to hire skilled, diverse employees.

NORTH CASCADES 2016 ACCOMPLISHMENTS8

•  Increased the number of research permits issued in 2010 by 20%.

•  Developed a Science Internship  Program that attracted undergraduate students to investigate science-based career opportunities in the National Park Service. Offered two opportuni-ties in the park per field season.

•  Completed 12 high school senior  culminating projects involving park-based research and scientific work.

•  Created synergy around the park and ecosystem through the coordination of interdisciplinary work by a core group of 4-6 researchers who were each con-sistently involved over several years.

•  Created a Pathway for Science.

•  Connected researchers to park and partner education programs.

•  Shared research results and informa-tion on on-going projects.

•  Park staff actively sought out and used current research results for interpretive programs and publications.

•  Produced an annual park research and resource issues publication.

Created an active science and research community

•  Researchers routinely provided lectures in the park or at other venues in part-nership with the park.

•  Research consumers (e.g. staff)  provided regular constructive feedback on how research and scientific infor-mation is made available to them.

•  Park staff and management used research results to inform and affect projects and routine work.

•  Created a research sabbatical  program that at least one researcher participated in.

•  Maintained the web-based Research Catalog as an up-to-date reflection of North Coast and Cascades Network research needs.

•  Developed a Science Strategy to  integrate research and monitoring with public engagement and management.

NORTH CASCADES 2016 ACCOMPLISHMENTS 9

•  Developed an integrated Wilderness management program to protect the four qualities of Wilderness character – untrammeled, natural, undeveloped, and outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation.

•  Created a Wilderness Committee that worked as a team.

•  Created a clear charter that guided the work of the Committee on behalf of the park and included a clear relation-ship to the Interdisciplinary Team (IDT).

•  Identified opportunities and issues.

•  Provided input into divisional work-plans, including special projects.

•  Made recommendations to the management team and tracked the implementation of decisions.

•  Used a reproducible human impact monitoring system to guide Wilderness work, planning and management.

•  Addressed climbing routes in Wilder-ness management.

•  Produced a “State of the Stephen Mather Wilderness” report that  described the status of its four quali-ties of Wilderness character.

Managed Wilderness to retain its four qualities

•  Actively supported training in Leave No Trace skills, outdoor ethics, and Wilderness values.

•  Conducted training for park staff.

•  Collaborated with commercial groups (e.g., guides and outfitters) and with non-governmental organizations (e.g., North Cascades Institute, Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of the USA, and the Y) to provide training to the public.

•  Evaluated the Wilderness Permit  System.

•  Developed a wilderness character monitoring program to track the character of the Stephen Mather Wilderness.

•  Evaluated the need for a new Wilder-ness Management Plan.

•  Completed initial scoping work and requested funding (if a new plan was determined to be necessary).

•  The park is recognized as a national treasure, in part because it is at the core of a large Wilderness and  functional ecosystem.

NORTH CASCADES 2016 ACCOMPLISHMENTS10

•  Provided people with opportunities to become stewards of the park.

•  Shared with visitors what there is to see and do in the park and how to visit safely.

•  Provided a spectrum of appropriate opportunities for visitors to develop personal connections with the park.

•  Implemented stewardship and volun-teer opportunities that directly  supported park goals and engaged 750 individual volunteers annually.

•  Collaborated with partners (e.g., North Cascades Institute, Student Conservation Association, Washington Conservation Corps, and Washington’s National Park Fund) to host service-learning programs in the park.

•  Received regular support from Ross Lake Resort for youth programs on Ross Lake.

•  Increased the diversity of park visitors to reflect the diversity of the Pacific Northwest.

•  Actively invited and welcomed diverse people to the park.

•  Increased the diversity of participants in special programs (e.g., North Cascades Institute programs, Junior Ranger program, Student Conserva-tion Association internships and work crews, Youth Conservation Corps).

•  Increased the diversity of park  volunteers.

•  Developed a sustainable pathway that has effectively created opportunities for visitors of all ages to connect to the park’s natural and cultural resources through education, interpretation, and service-learning, and which has also diversified the park’s workforce and led to conservation career employment opportunities throughout the nation.

Inspired people to care for the park

•  Learned how people access informa-tion about the park and used this knowledge to optimize visitor  orientation and wayfinding.

•  Utilized appropriate nonprofit partner-ships and business ventures to magnify the park’s ability to educate people and connect them to the park.

•  Collaborated with the North Cascades Institute to identify and achieve  shared goals.

•  Established a long-term contract  for Ross Lake Resort.

•  Established a long-term contract  for Stehekin Landing Resort.

•  Provided high-quality visitor services in collaboration with Seattle City Light (e.g., Skagit Tours), Stehekin conces-sionaire (e.g., Valley Shuttle and Rain-bow Falls Tour), and Commercial Use Authorizations (e.g., Leave No Trace training and education).

•  Communicated park policy, decisions, projects, activities, actions and incidents to the public, stakeholders, and employees.

•  Increased public involvement (e.g., re-view and comments) in park planning.

•  Developed strong and effective rela-tionships with elected officials, com-munity leaders, constituents, and the media.

•  Engaged in regular communication (e.g., meetings, websites, and email).